Skid. A wooden contrivance on which ship's boats rest.
Skysails. The uppermost square sails; the fifth, sixth, or seventh sails from the deck according to the mast's rig.
Slatting. The noise made by sails flogging in the wind.
Slush. Grease, melted fat.
South-wester. A kind of oilskin hat. A gale from the south-west.
Spit brown. To chew tobacco.
Square sennit. A cunning plait which makes a four-square bar.
Staysails. Fore and aft sails set upon the stays between the masts.
Stow. To furl.
Strop (the, putting on). A strop is a grummet or rope ring. The two players kneel down facing each other, the strop is placed over their heads, and the men then try to pull each other over by the strength of their neck-muscles.